The Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation) will establish 16 new Priority Programmes, in which researchers will investigate fundamental scientific questions in particularly topical or emerging areas of research over the next few years.

The new programmes were selected by the Senate of the DFG - Germany's largest research funding organisation and central self-governing organisation for the research community - at its spring session in Bonn from a total of 72 proposed concepts. The programmes cover all scientific fields, including humanities and social sciences, life sciences, natural sciences and engineering sciences. Topics range from the analysis of historical foundations for economic activities to the investigation and development of electromagnetic sensors for applications in medicine, biology and pharmacology. Other topics include multitasking, new communication and safety systems for road traffic, and signal and information processing in engineering and applied mathematics.

All the programmes are highly interdisciplinary and are notable for their application of innovative methods. The participation of early career researchers, as well as active support for them, is an essential part of all the programmes, and is in fact one of the key criteria for establishing a new Priority Programme. All programmes also have a gender equality strategy.

The approved concepts each describe the main subject of a Priority Programme. Over the coming months, the DFG will announce a separate call for proposals for each of the 16 programmes. Proposals will be evaluated in a rigorous review process to determine their scientific quality and their contribution to the general topic in question.

A total of 89 million euros will be available for the 16 new programmes in the first three-year funding period. Priority Programmes generally run for six years. The DFG is currently funding 95 such programmes. The 16 new programmes will get underway in 2015.

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